TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A 51-year-old female hiker surnamed Yin (殷) was airlifted to safety on Monday (April 1) after being separated from her group for five days on a trip to Liushun Mountain in Hualien County.
The seven-person hiking expedition planned a two-day, one-night excursion that would also include a visit to nearby Qicai Lake. After setting off on March 27, the group arrived at Qicai Lake where they set up camp and then set off with light equipment for Liushun Mountain.
However, Yin said that she wanted to return to the camp instead of proceeding onwards with the group. She attempted to return to the camp alone and made a series of wrong turns, per Liberty Times.
When the group completed their hike to Liushun Mountain and returned to camp, they found no trace of Yin. They notified the fire department for help.
After receiving notice of the lost hiker, a search and rescue team tracked Yin’s cell phone to a location one kilometer away from where she had departed the group. The rescue team surmised she traveled in the opposite direction of the path to their campsite at Qicai Lake.
Yin's cell phone was also found to be without a signal, leading rescuers to believe the battery had run out. Considering the extreme mountain climate and that she only had light equipment with her, rescuers became worried about Yin's safety.
After a five-day search, Yin was finally discovered by other hikers in the area. They found her in good health and spirits and contacted a helicopter to help her exit the mountain.
After being lost, Yin reportedly followed the direction of voices she heard coming from other hikers. She was fortunate that the weather had been stable for the past week.
To survive, she took shelter in the roots of a large tree in the valley. Though she had no food to eat, she was able to access water.
